Day #4 Group #9

The group got together today to assess how far we have to get to a point where the project is presentable. So far, the team seems to believe we have a good chance at completion as long as we all complete our tasks granted to us. Sean is working on the turning the old drill's parts into a machine to spin the screw. Alex and George  are working on completing the tube that will bring the marble down to the button. Matthew is working on something to hold up the pulley that will move the hinge to release the ramp. All in all, the group seems to be making good progress, and we expect to complete early Thursday, late Wednesday. 

The bulk of the project remaining is the building of the ramp that we plan to have actually launch the golf ball. We have the hinge that will be dropped with the snapping of a mouse trap activating a pulley. The hinge is attached to a block of wood that we plan to use as the ramp. There is little left to be completed on the "arbitrary" portion of the Rube Goldberg. Alex and George are working on the final touches to have the marble roll as smoothly as possible as well as guarantee the one minute limit is reached. The pulley currently does not have the means of hanging at the angle necessary to drop the hinge. The task set upon Matthew is to create a small backing to support the pulley.

Going through the requirements of the project, it appears as if almost all of them are achieved. The use of simple machines is successful in our use of a pulley, a screw, and an incline plane. The transfer of energy can be seen through our use of the drill's inner workings to turn a motor, as well as the momentum of the marble being used to press the button. The greatest hurdle left to jump is our success in making the golf ball go the required distance. The other requirements are done/almost done, yet we have yet to guarantee our success in completing the biggest task given to us. The problem of the golf ball should be solved shortly as long as we all continue to work to the best of our ability, and with haste.



Matthew Tullis, Alex Motter, George Rodriguez, and Sean Torpey